ESPN will televise a doubleheader on Feb. 14 from the McCann Center, with the Marist women facing Quinnipiac at 5 p.m. on ESPNU and the men taking on Siena at either 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. on ESPNU or th...

» Read more

X

ESPN at McCann

ESPN will televise a doubleheader on Feb. 14 from the McCann Center, with the Marist women facing Quinnipiac at 5 p.m. on ESPNU and the men taking on Siena at either 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. on ESPNU or the website ESPN3. The first Marist-Quinnipiac women's game, on Dec. 6, will air on ESPN3 at 6 p.m.

» Social News

Experience and veteran leadership are two factors coaches look to when deciding whether their teams will contend for championships.

Both of Marist's basketball teams return veteran lineups, and the coaches in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference put a premium on that. The Marist women were a unanimous choice Wednesday to win their ninth MAAC title in a row, and the Marist men have been selected to place fifth in the 11-team league.

The Marist women are coming off another 18-0 MAAC season with a cast of all-stars — Leanne Ockenden was the defensive player of the year, Casey Dulin was a second-team choice, Emma O'Connor was a third-team pick and Sydney Coffey made the all-rookie team.

"We have great leadership, from that standpoint,'' coach Brian Giorgis said.

The Marist men return 81 percent of their on-court minutes from last season, four starters and third-team all-MAAC standouts Chevaughn Lewis and Adam Kemp.

"I think it's good for our guys that some of their individual talents are recognized,'' coach Jeff Bower said, "and the coaches feel they have ability and they have talent to be a team that people look at as being a team to compete at the top of the conference. We are pleased with that. We know it's something that has to be earned. We are working towards accomplishing that.''

Bower, an assistant during Marist's glory years of the late 1980s, was the former general manager, head coach and scouting director of the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA for 15 years. His no-nonsense approach and basketball acumen has raised the stature of the Red Foxes, but he doesn't put any stock in his arrival as the reason for the fifth-place vote.

"The one thing I did learn in the NBA is it's all about your players and your talent and personnel,'' Bower said. "It's more reflective of that than anything.''